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Connect Your Generosity with New Yorkers in Need

Going Virtual: Contributions to our Emergency Fund allowed us to make grants to organizations such as BRIC, which is helping other arts groups operate during the pandemic. Here, artist Tahir Carl Karmali (center) works on his new interdisciplinary

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a critical need for virtual cultural programming—and has exposed the stark inequities between the organizations that have the resources and capacity to create digital media content and those that do not. — BRIC President Kristina Newman-Scott

GOING VIRTUAL: Contributions to our Emergency Fund allowed us to make grants to organizations such as BRIC, which is helping other arts groups operate during the pandemic. Here, artist Tahir Carl Karmali (center) works on his new interdisciplinary piece, ELEVATOR.

When the pandemic struck, Energy Impact Partners (EIP) temporarily closed its offices on 47th Street and Third Avenue. “We’re fortunate we can do business remotely,” said Peter Fox-Penner, the corporation’s chief impact officer, “but the fruit vendors and restaurants around our office can’t.”

As an impact-focused investment firm, EIP wanted to do something to help locally. “We looked around and found exactly what we were looking for—a one-stop way to help those hit hardest,” Fox-Penner said. “We don’t have the expertise to divvy up our contributions to help with hunger, rent relief, or medical care. That’s why we chose The New York Community Trust.”

With enthusiastic support from his colleagues, Fox-Penner created a matching corporate giving program, bundling employee contributions with a company donation to help our COVID-19 response efforts.

Thankfully, EIP is in good company. We have combined its generosity with that of many others to help New York recover and rebuild in a range of ways. A few examples of the grants we made include:

  • Westside Campaign Against Hunger is increasing the collective purchasing power and efficiency of emergency food providers across the city.
  • Local Initiatives Support Corporation is hosting a citywide network of small business services to help retailers and other mom-and-pop shops in low-income neighborhoods reopen safely.
  • Jewish Child Care Association of New York is helping improve remote learning for children at risk of being placed in foster homes.

If you are interested in helping our city come back from the devastating blow dealt by the pandemic, we encourage you to give directly to local organizations working in the communities that have been impacted the most.

You also can join us in our efforts to address the ongoing effects of the pandemic. Give via credit card; send a check to The New York Community Trust’s Community Needs Fund; or donor-advisors can use MyNYCT and click on the “Community Needs Fund” tab to transfer money from their fund.